The present invention relates to the field of energy and is directed to a child-proof gas lighter, i.e. the lighter provided with a means for neutralizing ignition elements being movable between an operating neutralizing position wherein no spark is struck on activating an ignition mechanism and a position wherein it is possible to produce the spark required to ignite the gas.
Lighters of this type are known which are described in GB, No.A-2304879, U.S. Pat. Nos. 5096414, 5547370, 5868561 and in which a gas ignition device includes a gearwheel positioned on a shaft and firmly connected with it, corrugated wheels rotatably positioned on said shaft by the sides of the gearwheel, a flint pressed toward the gearwheel, whereby said shaft has side portions on which the corrugated wheels are located and formed as a polyhedron, and end portions which are cylindrical and disposed in the openings of brackets of the lighter body. A maximum diameter of the shaft in the area where the corrugated wheels are mounted is less than a minimum diameter of the opening of these wheels.
When the corrugated wheels are classically acted upon, they turn about the shaft which precludes striking a spark since the gearwheel does not rotate. To ignite the gas exiting from the lighter burner valve, it is necessary to depress the corrugated wheels, to force them into contact with the shaft edges and to turn the wheels in conventional manner. Due to friction appearing when the corrugated wheels and the shaft interact in the contact area, the shaft and the gearwheels sitting therein can turn.
Safety devices described in the patents do not require any additional buttons and lever movements in order to achieve the goal which makes them more attractive as compared to other lighters. The only thing required from a user is to more attentively and with a determined force depress the corrugated wheels, otherwise they would rotate idly.
However, due to the fact that the corrugated wheels rotate about the shaft independently of each other, the user not always is able to select the force needed to turn the gearwheel. In certain cases, the both corrugated wheels operate in time but sometimes, only one. Therefore, the user now easily lights the lighter, now with some difficulty.
With all classical lighters, the spark striking device is of at integral design. The above-mentioned inventions lack this feature. Here the spark striking wheel consists of a plurality of loosely interconnected parts. This makes it difficult to assemble and repair the lighter and in the event the lighter drops, there is a risk to lose some parts.